Newsletter

News

September 2018

Packaging times and gripper tools optimised

In mid-August 2018 two modified packaging cells were put into operation at Buderus Guss, in Foundry II of the Breidenbach Plant. They ensure even better compliance with the packaging regulations and optimisation of the gripper tools.

Two further robots were put into operation and, instead of blade grippers, magnet grippers were installed, which pick up each brake disk individually and place it according to the prescribed packaging pattern.

To ensure optimal product delivery for internal logistics efforts, Buderus Guss has invested in a transport control system (TLS), which is based on SAP Warehouse Management. This investment has brought the area of internal plant material flow in line with the state of the art of technology.

The automotive standard IATF 16949 is one of the most rigorous and demanding certifications, because it places the highest requirements on system and process quality. In June 2018 the auditors came to the Breidenbach facility to audit the company according to the new requirements of IATF 16949:2016. The audit returned a positive result, so the transition to the new standard could be executed at the Breidenbach facility without any problems.

EuroBrake 2018

For the fourth time Buderus Guss put in an appearance at EuroBrake, the largest international forum for brake experts for passenger vehicles, utility vehicles, railway transport, aviation and aerospace and industry and science.

The presentation focused on the iDisc® and the award of the German Innovation Prize. Numerous trade visitors showed great interest in the benefits and properties of the carbide-coated brake disc, and all the well-known international and national OEMs paid a visit to the Buderus Guss stand.

June 2018

iDisc® wins the German Innovation Prize

After scooping up the Robert Bosch Innovation Award for the ‘Products and Technology’ category in December 2017‚ the triumphal success of the iDisc® has continued with the brilliant brake disc winning the Deutsche Innovationspreis (German Innovation Prize) in the ‘Medium-sized Business’ category.

The prize, awarded on 13 April 2018 in Munich, distinguished the top German innovations in ‘Large Business’, ‘Medium-sized Business’ and ‘Start-up’ categories.

Winning the German Innovation Prize is a high point for the iDisc®, and public recognition of approximately 10 years of research and development work alongside Bosch. It also shows how important carbide coated brake discs are becoming in the technical innovation landscape.

A new robot-assisted coating line has been in operation at the Buderus Guss facility in Ludwigshütte since March 2018, using the HVOF (high velocity oxygen fuel) process to apply a carbide coating to the friction rings of the iDisc®.

The 1.6 million investment doubles coating capacity so that the iDisc® can ramp up to series production.

A further line is in progress and will provide another boost to coating capacity in the coming year.

New foundry manager at Buderus Guss

On 2 May 2018, Steffen Sasse took over management of the foundry at Buderus Guss in Breidenbach.

Steffen Sasse has worked in the industry for nine years as a foundry engineer and brings with him considerable experience in the brake disc business.

March 2018

iDisc® accorded the Robert Bosch Innovation Award

At the Executive Forum, the most important strategy meeting of the top 500 worldwide Bosch managers, Dr. Volkmar Denner, CEO of the Bosch Executive Board, conferred the Innovation Awards 2017. Three award winners were in the category "Products and Technology". Die iDisc®, as a fine particulate matter reducing brake disc, received the first prize.

Furthering the self-reliance of trainees and intensive confrontation with the subject of occupational safety and raising the awareness of the young persons for possible hazards in the plant was the aim of an occupational safety day in November 2017. According to their areas of specialty, the trainees investigated selected topics with emphasis on occupational safety taken from plant experience and presented in short talks. The overwhelming success of this event has motivated Buderus Guss to organize a further occupational safety day in the spring of 2018 with focus upon the subject of "commuting accidents".

New Foundry Head at Buderus Guss

In January 2018 Reinhard Voll assumed the position of Foundry Head at Buderus Guss in Breidenbach.

Reinhard Voll is a degreed engineer in foundry engineering and has acquired an excellent reputation in key positions within the foundry industry.

Head of the Core Shop at Buderus Guss

Since 1 January 2018 Christine Knops is the Head of the Core Shop at Buderus Guss. She is the first woman in this position in the history of the Breidenbach plant. With her team of nearly 40 persons, the 31 year-old is responsible for the daily supply of up to 65,000 sand cores to the die-casting plants. Christine Knops studied metallurgy and materials engineering at the RWTH Aachen University and is a degreed engineer in foundry engineering.